Residents of the upscale Clifton neighborhood took to the streets to protest what they described as a concrete boom of high-rise buildings that is damaging the area's civic foundations. The protest, held outside Cross Court near Do Talwar, centered on the residents' concerns over alleged illegal constructions and the mounting pressure on a strained urban infrastructure.
Protesters questioned how buildings ranging from 40 to 46 storeys were being permitted to rise in an area already struggling with inadequate parking, drainage, sewerage, and water supply. They demanded that authorities issuing construction approvals be held accountable and called for an immediate stop to all illegal building activity.
The residents reported that despite Clifton being a posh neighborhood, it lacks an effective sewerage system. They stated that roads are in disrepair, garbage collection is woefully inadequate, and piles of refuse litter several streets. According to the protesters, even moderate rainfall leaves parts of the neighborhood submerged under several feet of water, with sewage water remaining stagnant in some streets while new high-rises continue to be built.
The protesters warned that round-the-clock construction, the creeping commercialization of residential streets, and the growth of padel courts are further straining the infrastructure. They also expressed major concerns regarding Nehr-e-Khayyam, describing the waterway as vital for maintaining the area's environmental balance and rainwater drainage.
Residents feared that alleged encroachments, construction along the banks, and expanding commercial activity could undermine the waterway's drainage capacity and original character. They demanded that its boundaries be protected from unnecessary construction and called for an independent technical assessment of ongoing work around the waterway.
The protesters noted that because Clifton hosts diplomatic missions for several countries, the alleged illegal constructions and deteriorating civic conditions have raised serious questions regarding the performance of the relevant authorities.
